New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) US researchers have developed a new problem-solving therapy that boosts brain functioning to relieve symptoms of depression, offering a ray of hope for millions of people across the world.
Depression is a common mental disorder, affecting an estimated 5 percent of people globally.
In a study led by a team at Stanford Medicine, problem-solving therapy (a form of cognitive therapy) was used on adults with both depression and obesity. The therapy reduced depression in one-third of patients who had difficult-to-treat conditions.
The team recruited 108 people who had both severe depression and obesity. While 59 people participated in a year-long problem-solving therapy program as part of their usual care, 49 received only usual care.
Participants also underwent fMRI brain scans and filled out questionnaires that assessed their problem-solving abilities and depressive symptoms.
According to the study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, symptom severity was reduced by half in 32 percent of participants in the problem-solving group.
Lead author Xue Zhang, a postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry at the university, called this “a huge improvement.” This is because patients with obesity and depression have only a 17 percent response rate to antidepressant drugs.
Brain scans showed that problem-solving ability declined in those who received only usual care. But the opposite happened in those who received therapy.
Researchers say this may be because their brains were learning to process information better through the therapy.
The team said this may be because their brains are learning to process information more efficiently through the therapy. Whereas before the therapy, their brains were working harder, now, they were working more intelligently.
Overall, the severity of depression improved in both groups. But for some people, problem-solving therapy brought greater clarity, helping them return to work and manage social interactions.
–IANS
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